What a superb afternoon. There was sunshine and wind. Weather forecasts on the television had been a little pessimistic, but that must have been for the south east of England.
On the water Race Officer Roger Kinns set one of the longer courses, back and forth across the loch. The same one as last Sunday.
No one made a good start. Teal and Catriona were early at the line, Dione (the other boat fancying her chances) was late. Teal luffed and slowed, Catriona bore away down the line but managed to start with pace. For a while, Catriona could not have tacked to cross ahead of Teal and the two stayed on starboard tack going down the Shandon Shore and trying to make to windward to B, off Silvers. Eventually, Catriona picked her moment and tacked into a clear first place. There was tacking and covering on the way to B but Catriona had enough of a lead at the mark to avoid having to deal with a wind shadow from Teal on the next leg. Downwind to Shandon Church.. The rest, meanwhile, were blanketing each other. Dione in particular found herself in Halcyone’s shadow and suffered on account of it. Hermes did not set a spinnaker on this leg and lost 200 yards or more to Thalia. Which she made up on the next windward leg.
That leg was to C, off the north end of Clynder. Thence a reach back to the starting area. There were thoughts of déjà vu all over again on Catriona. On the previous Sunday, she was leading at this point and there was just enough time for a second round. She lost her place in variable wind at B. Again there was a second round. This time wind was constant (by the standards of the Gareloch) and there were no mishaps. A rash launching of the spinnaker on a blowy reach almost cost a place. Teal set her spinnaker at the end. It was not enough.
1 Catriona, 2 Teal, 3 Dione, 4 Hermes, 5 Thalia, 6 Halcyone.
President: